Matthew 5:46

King James Version

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
If you love only those who love you, why should you get a reward for that? Even the tax collectors do that.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf ye love them which love you: what rewarde shall ye have? Doo not the Publicans euen so?

International Standard Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?Luke 6:32;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?

New Century Version
If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that.

Update Bible Version
For if you love those that love you, what reward do you have? don't even the publicans do the same?

Webster's Bible Translation
For if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Amplified Bible
"For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

English Standard Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

World English Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye?

Weymouth's New Testament
For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if ye louen hem that louen you, what mede schulen ye han? whether pupplicans doon not this?

English Revised Version
For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Berean Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

Contemporary English Version
If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends.

American Standard Version
For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Bible in Basic English
For if you have love for those who have love for you, what credit is it to you? do not the tax-farmers the same?

Complete Jewish Bible
What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that!

Darby Translation
For if ye should love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the tax-gatherers the same?

Etheridge Translation
For if you love those (only) who love you, what reward have you ? do not even the tribute-gatherers this ?

Murdock Translation
For, if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans do this?

King James Version (1611)
For if yee loue them which loue you, what reward haue yee? Doe not euen the Publicanes the same?

New Living Translation
If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.

New Life Bible
If you love those who love you, what reward can you expect from that? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

New Revised Standard
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if ye loue them, which loue you, what rewarde shall you haue? Doe not the Publicanes euen the same?

George Lamsa Translation
For if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not even the publicans do the same thing?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? are not, even the tax-collectors, the same thing, doing?

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this?

Revised Standard Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf ye loue them which loue you, what rewarde haue ye? Do not the publicans also euen the same?

Good News Translation
Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!

Christian Standard Bible®
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

Hebrew Names Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

Lexham English Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same?

Literal Translation
For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?

Young's Literal Translation
`For, if ye may love those loving you, what reward have ye? do not also the tax-gatherers the same?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For yf ye loue them which loue you, what rewarde shall ye haue? Do not the Publicans eue so?

Mace New Testament (1729)
but if you love only them who love you, what reward can ye have? do not the heathens themselves do as much?

New English Translation
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?

New King James Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you only love those who love you right back, what kind of love are you really showin'? Even politicians do that!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Contextual Overview

⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ⁴⁷ And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? ⁴⁸ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Matthew 6:1, Luke 6:32-35, 1 Peter 2:20-23

publicans: Matthew 9:10, Matthew 9:11, Matthew 11:19, Matthew 18:17, Matthew 21:31, Matthew 21:32, Luke 15:1, Luke 18:13, Luke 19:2, Luke 19:7

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 15:7 - your work Proverbs 12:26 - righteous Matthew 6:32 - after Luke 14:12 - and a Colossians 3:24 - ye shall

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if ye love them which love you,.... That is, if ye only love such that love you; for that such who love should be loved again, is both natural and just: our Lord's meaning is not, that ye ought not to love them that love you, but that these should not be the only objects of your love; for should this be the case,

what reward have ye? or "shall ye have?" Do you deserve any thanks for your love now? none at all, it is what you are obliged to by your friend's love to you. Do you expect any hereafter with God? if you do, you will be mistaken; you have your reward with men, who have loved you as much as you have done them, and therefore none can be due to you, either from God or men: besides,

do not even the publicans the same? men of the worst characters, and who were most hateful to the Jews, upon many accounts; partly because of their business, which was to collect the Roman tax, and carry it to the proper officers appointed to receive it, and of whom they sometimes farmed it. Now the Roman yoke was very grievous to the Jews, who boasted of their being a free people; nor did they willingly pay their tribute money; and some of them would refuse to do it, under a pretence of religion; wherefore those publicans, or tax gatherers, which were oftentimes men of their own nation, as appears from the instances of Levi and Zacchaeus, were very odious to them; because they looked upon them as joining with the Romans, in oppressing them, and abridging them in their liberty: and partly because of their character and conduct, being men of great improbity, rapine, and covetousness: hence, as in the New Testament, they are frequently joined with "sinners", as being notorious ones themselves; so in the Talmudic writings, with thieves a, and are reckoned as thieves, with murderers, and robbers b; they were not allowed as witnesses c in any of their courts of judicature; nor were they to be kept company d with in private houses. Now our Lord instances in these men who were the most profligate part of the nation, and had in greatest contempt by the rest; and yet these, by the very dictates of nature, loved such as loved them: wherefore it must be shameful and scandalous in the Pharisees, and others, who pretended to great sanctity and religion, to do no more than these persons did.

a Maimon. Hilch. Gezela, c. 5. sect. 9. 11. b Misn. Nedarim, c. 3. sect. 4. c T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 25. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Eduth, c. 10. sect. 4. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora pr. neg. 214. d Maimon. Hilch. Mishcab, c. 10. sect. 8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What reward have ye? - The word “reward” seems to be used in the sense of “deserving of praise.” If you only love those that love you, you are selfish; it is not genuine love for the “character,” but love for the “benefit,” and you deserve no commendation. The very “publicans” would do the same.

The publicans - The publicans were tax-gatherers. Judea was a province of the Roman empire. The Jews bore this foreign yoke with great impatience, and paid their taxes with great reluctance. It happened, therefore, that those who were appointed to collect taxes were objects of great detestation. They were, besides, people who would be supposed to execute their office at all hazards; men who were willing to engage in an odious and hated employment; people often of abandoned character, oppressive in their exactions, and dissolute in their lives. By the Jews they were associated in character with thieves and adulterers; with the profane and the dissolute. Christ says that even these wretched people would love their benefactors.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 5:46. For if ye love them which love you — He who loves only his friends, does nothing for God's sake. He who loves for the sake of pleasure or interest, pays himself. God has no enemy which he hates but sin; we should have no other.

The publicans — That is, tax-gatherers, τελωναι, from τελος a tax, and ωνεομαι I buy or farm. A farmer or collector of the taxes or public revenues. Of these there were two classes; the superior, who were Romans of the equestrian order; and the inferior, those mentioned in the Gospels, who it appears were mostly Jews.

This class of men was detestable among the Romans, the Greeks, and the Jews, for their intolerable rapacity and avarice. They were abhorred in an especial manner by the Jews, to whom the Roman government was odious: these, assisting in collecting the Roman tribute, were considered as betrayers of the liberties of their country, and abettors of those who enslaved it. They were something like the tythe-farmers of certain college-livings in some counties of England, as Lancashire, c. - a principal cause of the public burthens and discontent. One quotation, of the many produced by Kypke, will amply show in what detestation they were held among the Greeks. Theocritus being asked, Which of the wild beasts were the most cruel? answered, Εν μεν τοις ορεσιν αρκτοι και λεοντες· εν δε ταις πολεσιν, ΤΕΛΩΝΑΙ και συκοφανται. Bears and lions, in the mountains and TAX-GATHERERS and calumniators, in cities.